It is with great pleasure that I congratulate the recent graduates of the Yukon School of Visual Arts in Dawson City.

SOVA is an incredibly important institution to the residents of Dawson and I hope the students graduating look back at their time in the Klondike with great fondness.

The contributions made through the direct programming of the school and the involvement of students in community activities have an immense effect on the social fabric of the community. It is yet another great representation of the spirit of Dawson and its residents.

I am a huge believer in SOVA and Dawson’s artistic community as a whole. It has a positive effect on our image on both the national and international stage and continues to gain recognition whether it is in galleries, theatres or film festivals. It is interesting to note that the majority of full time students this year came to SOVA from outside of the territory, showing just how strong the reputation has become.

This year the student’s art was quite diverse and wide spread. Last month a collection of art from the students called “all the way” was on display at the Yukon Arts centre for a number of weeks, receiving a lot of attention from locals and media. To name a few more, there were performance art pieces on the dike and even a couple of the students were involved in the Dawson City International Film Festival where Jun Chen was awarded with the Made in the Yukon Emerging Artist Award.

SOVA is the perfect stepping stone for any adventurous student looking to be creative and have an experience of a life time. Dawson has a strong artist community and I am very happy to see it grow every year.

Congratulations to all of the students this year and thank you for making winter in Dawson just a little more exciting. I would also like to thank the instructors and staff at SOVA for their dedication and hard work over the past year.

Sandy Silver